In the empty conference room, Zhi-Sha Palace Master removed her silver mask and faced Zhang Yuanqing with her most authentic appearance. Her features were nearly identical to her "younger sister," differing only slightly in demeanor and grace—her younger sister was endearing and lively, with a touch of regal charm. Zhi-Sha Palace Master, on the other hand, exuded a mature, elegant grace, with a subtle touch of youthful charm, and carried an ever-present maternal warmth—gentle and kind. This transformation had come with her promotion in rank. She smiled softly at him, "I'm sorry, what exactly did I miss?" "General Bing is fiery, impulsive, and combative—he grows increasingly gloomy and cruel, often engaging in fierce arguments with others, and every time he acts, someone ends up dead. As a result, he has killed many ordinary people and has repeatedly placed himself in peril. My nature is inflexible; it is my most terrifying flaw—constantly making me fixate on issues, becoming more irritable than the Fire Master and more brutal than the Enchanting Demon. Once, after completing my duties as the Judge of Illusions, when I requested my reward, I chose 'assistance from a Dream Master.' I hoped he could help me address my personality shortcomings. The Dream Master told me that the contamination of the Fallen Holy Cup is irreversible—it will inevitably drive the recipient mad. However, he could periodically soothe my inflexible temperament and stimulate a specific personality flaw, thereby channeling the Cup's amplifying effect into that very flaw." The Lady of the Stop-Killing Palace remained smiling. "So you chose desire." Zhang Yuanqing nodded gently. "We have to admit that human nature is full of vices—greed, anger, ignorance, hatred, and desire. Among these, desire, though pervasive, poses the least threat: it neither takes human lives nor deprives people of their wealth. In society, countless men and women remain unsatisfied in their desires. As long as I identify the right target and the right group, I can minimize the harm caused by the decline of the Holy Cup. 'I've slept with many women—some by mutual agreement, some by incentives, others through arrangements. But their status has remained unchanged, and no financial loss has occurred. 'I'm not trying to justify my past self. Rather, even under conditions of moral contamination, I have strived to do my best. Indeed, even with Yin Ji, I don't feel I've fallen short. 'Yet you, Yu'er—you are the only one for whom I cannot look myself in the face without guilt.' Jiang Yu'ei smiled softly, yet a touch of melancholy now shimmered in her eyes. 'After all, you've said all this, haven't you, and yet after your resurrection, you haven't really grown closer to Guan Ya.' Zhang This woman has tirelessly worked to bring him back to life, humbled herself to restore his soul, quietly safeguarding him during the time of the Magus King, and selflessly supporting him during the era of the Primordial Celestial Sovereign. Yet she received only the Magus King's fickleness—constantly shifting between the beds of one woman after another. And the Primordial Celestial Sovereign's indifference—cherishing a romance with Guan Ya instead. After a long time, he said: "I have never truly acknowledged our relationship, nor have I ever seen you as someone worthy of love. At times, I noticed your unusual behavior toward me, and at other times, I felt you lacked the qualities of a younger sister. Yet over these past dozen years, I've simply grown used to it." Jiang Yu E nodded: "I know. That's why I approached you as the Master of the Halt Palace, teasing you, cultivating a subtle affection and intimacy, gradually allowing you to develop warmth and even fantasies about me. With this gradual progression and buffer, when you finally learn of my true identity, you may still resist and hesitate, but you won't sever your emotional ties." Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly, a gentle warmth shimmering on his stern face: "You've succeeded!" He rose and walked to Jiang Yubi, embracing her tightly, whispering, "Thank you for walking this journey with me." Jiang Yubi remained silent, her shoulders trembling. ... One by one, figures appeared at the edge of the conference table—the saints who had returned from the afterlife: Guan Ya, the one who brought the fire to the world, Sun Miao Miao, the Queen, Xie Lingxi, Zhao Chenguang, and Red Chicken Brother. Everyone silently turned to the chief, gazing at the dignified Sun Sovereign seated at the head of the table. The very next moment, they all lowered their heads instinctively, as if responding to the natural reaction after gazing directly into the sun. They had originally intended to inquire about the magic king's resurrection and the process by which the Yuan Shi Tian Zun became the Sun Sovereign, but now felt that perhaps they were not yet qualified to access information of this caliber. Zhang Yuanqing spoke slowly: "Given your status, you should avoid looking directly at me, or you will suffer permanent visual damage and spiritual strain." His voice was grand and layered, as if coming from beyond the heavens, from every direction. Yuanshi Tianzun had truly become a major figure... This thought flashed through Zhao Chenghuang's mind, followed swiftly by a mixture of resignation, bitterness, and genuine joy. After losing to Yuanshi Tianzun in the arena last year, proud and ambitious as he was, Zhao had long harbored the dream of surpassing him and redeeming his earlier defeat. Yet the gap between them only widened, growing ever larger. Though his own promotion pace had been swift—rising three levels in just eight months, now reaching the peak of the Saint realm—Yuanshi Tianzun had already evolved into a near-divine presence. By now, Zhao no longer felt the need to compare at all; instead, he felt deep, heartfelt joy, joy at seeing his lifelong companions standing atop the world's highest peak, enjoying a vista never before experienced. Sun Miao Miao, however, felt a sense of sadness. She noticed that Yuanshi Tianzun had changed dramatically, no longer as humorous or lively as before, as though he had matured overnight. Xie Lingxi and the Queen shared the same feeling: the chief seated there was both their familiar Yuan-Shi brother and yet somehow not quite the same person—yet equally captivating. Red Chicken Brother had intended to praise him with phrases like "Monkey-level amazing," but upon his brief glimpse of the Sun Sovereign's dignified presence, that image remained vivid in his mind, making him hesitant to speak loudly or freely. He felt his innate fire-master nature being suppressed. Zhang Yuanqing looked at his former companions and said, "Given your family backgrounds, you should clearly understand the current situation and my past life. I can plainly tell you that the probability of defeating the Star Sovereign is less than fifty percent." Upon hearing this, Tianxi, the leader of the Heavenly Fire Alliance, sighed deeply. As a grassroots journeyer, his yearning for power surpassed that of the other saints who had returned from the realm of the departed. He had expected that when Yuan-Shi Tianzun ascended to the status of a half-divine being, his entire circle would rise with him—yet the world now stood on the brink of the end. "Then what should we do?" "Red Chicken Brother couldn't hold it any longer and burst out, his face anxious. No one paid him any attention, not even Zhang Yuanqing, who continued: "The real world might soon face upheaval. This is my personal intuition, not the result of any formal analysis or prediction. The Master of the Stars has disrupted the celestial patterns, rendering all current astronomical observations and forecasts invalid." This time, they did not receive grace or accept commands as companions or friends, but as subordinates. Zhang Yuanqing smiled and said, "Then let it be. Wishing you all good fortune—and also good fortune for myself!" The saints who had returned from the realm of the dead felt an indescribable sorrow and weight. Yuan Shi Tian Zun's actions seemed as though he had already arranged for the final affairs, meeting old friends and delivering his last will. They bowed their heads, sincerely wishing, "Wishing you good fortune!" One by one, their figures faded away before the conference table, leaving only Guan Ya. Zhang Yuanqing looked at his girlfriend, who had remained silent throughout and whose face had been stiff with composure, and sighed, "I've let you down, Ya-jia. I once mocked the Demon King, even looked down upon him. Only later did I realize—I was, in fact, the Demon King myself. By embracing the identity of the Demon King, I must also bear his karmic consequences and responsibilities. Therefore, I cannot remain faithful to my feelings in a consistent, unwavering way." "Guan Ya remained silent for a moment, offering a forced smile: "You don't need to tell me all this. As a direct descendant of a spiritual realm family, it's entirely normal for a half-divine powerhouse to maintain multiple consorts—this is the very standard among our noble heirs. To expect a half-divine to remain faithful throughout is nothing short of unrealistic. Fu Xue has told me more than once that as your status grows, the number of women in your life will naturally increase, and I should adapt accordingly." "Uncle," he said, "I can sing some Rap to add to the entertainment." "Otherwise, I'll take your head off and use it as a prop," Zhang Yuanqing replied calmly. He had no patience for the family's complacent members and left the spiritual realm副本. Before the final battle, he still had a few people to see. In the outskirts of the capital, deep within a primitive forest, a sunroom filled with rare flowers and herbs. Ling Jun lay in a wicker chair, bathed in sunlight streaming through the room, eyes closed, gently swaying with the chair's motion. He had been isolated at the Mei household for three days, yet his restlessness remained unchanged—he intended to stay indoors all year. The official narrative of the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign's resurrection as the former Demon King was gradually gaining traction, with half the forum posts discussing the Demon King's revival and the other half focusing on the Star Sovereign's betrayal. Discussions about the approaching world's end were surprisingly absent—because they simply didn't know! This is also something the official high-level leadership would welcome—mid-level and grassroots officials simply have no qualification to know the truth, and even at the moment of the world's end, they will surely die without clear understanding. Of course, the fact that the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign has become the ruler of the Sun and is now engaged in a decisive battle against the Sovereign of the Stars—the leadership of the Order of Harmony—is known to the travelers of the Spiritual Realm. Yet, to them, it remains just a routine conflict among high-level factions. Now, everyone knows that the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign is actually a Demon King, and they all mock him for having become close friends with his own "uncle-in-law." The brilliant Flower Prince, it seems, has been outwitted by this relentless villain, the Primordial Heavenly Sovereign. Even Ling Jun feels that the end of the world would be quite pleasant—after all, in societal terms, he has already been dead for some time. At that moment, while Ling Jun was closed-eyed, he received a message from Hua Yu—the flowers around him informed him that someone had just entered the room. Ling Jun suddenly opened his eyes and saw a young man, covered in golden paint, standing three Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun! Ling Jun's face twitched, stubbornly gazing into the Sun Sovereign's countenance, and with a heartfelt, motherly tone, asked, "What in the world are you doing here?" Zhang Yuanqing smiled, "As your personal mentor for wooing admirers, you shouldn't be looking like this." Ling Jun gritted his teeth, "If I knew you were that cursed demonic sovereign, even if Fu Qingyang had been blocking my way, I would have dismembered you right then." "There's no need to be so stiff. With my current status, even if I bring your aunt and cousin into my harem, it's entirely natural. Though the demonic sovereign may not be as impressive, he's still far more distinguished than your father, a mere stud who's always been all over the place." Zhang Yuanqing made every effort to restore his tone and expression to how they used to be. Yet, since becoming the Sun Sovereign, he had grown into a stern, expressionless figure—so his words sounded like a direct challenge. Ling Jun took a deep breath, "Are you here just to mock me?" "No. I'm here to inform you of something—something about your Zhang Yuanqing said, "I can clearly tell you that it was he who killed your mother!"